Like miniskirts and sensible shoes, indulgence and prudence aren’t usually spotted at the same parties. And Las Vegas never needed to make friends of the two until now.
That’s where the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and its go-to ad agency, R&R Partners, came in. They have crafted an initiative titled #VegasSmart that’s now hitting social media with a video campaign that manages to convey an urgent message about personal safety with energy and humor.
It’s the hallmark of a fruitful partnership the LVCVA has enjoyed with R&R going back to the now-iconic “What Happens Here Stays Here” campaign.
“When you think about the past year, things have been very dynamic, right? For us, it’s been necessary to be flexible and to be able to pivot and adjust the message with events,” H. Fletch Brunelle, vice president of marketing for the LVCVA, told GGB News.
That’s no easy task these days. To start, Brunelle explained, a year or so ago the LVCVA began retooling “What Happens Here Stays Here,” looking for something new, restorative and inviting in the aftermath of the 2017 mass-shooting on the Strip.
As the partners discovered, the theme had grown dated in the brave new world of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, WeChat, Tumblr and Twitter, in which people, younger people especially, want to broadcast their experiences, not conceal them.
The result was “What Happens Here Only Happens Here,” a campaign that turned the focus away from vignettes of secretive adult misbehavior to showcase the scope and variety of attractions the city has to offer. An array of multimedia messages was set to kick off with a TV commercial that ran during the Grammy Awards on CBS on January 26.
Then everything went on hold with the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter in a helicopter crash the day before the telecast. It was sensitivity to the former L.A. Lakers star’s ties with Southern California, a major source of visitation to Las Vegas, that sealed the decision, Brunelle said.
After that came the Covid-19 pandemic, and with it, the ultimate test for the creative powers of the LVCVA and R&R. “What Happens Here Only Happens Here” was filed away once more.
“The No. 1 priority is health and safety,” said Brunelle. “For us, in terms of marketing strategy, we need to continue to understand our key origin markets, but we want to make sure people stay safe in the destination.”
On May 18, two months into the lockdown, the strategy surfaced with a social media initiative tagged “OnlyVegas” and a 30-second TV spot constructed around the catchphrase “A new Vegas for a new reality.” It set an emotional stage for the city’s reopening, with visuals centering on a handsome couple enjoying a romantic getaway on the Strip—mostly evening scenes, with shots of the city skyline and beneath it, a woman’s voice, warm and reassuring: “The world has changed, and Vegas is changing with it. So yes, things will be a little different when we open again. At least for a while.”
But, she promises, the experience is going to be better than ever. “So if you ever imagined a Vegas that’s just for you, it’s only here. And when it’s ready, you’ll be the first to know.”
That was followed by the countdown to June 4, when the city’s casinos were permitted to reopen. When the big day arrived, the LVCVA was ready, with a commercial spot that opens with a suited man in silhouette who approaches an industrial-looking power switch, throws it, and rekindles the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. As the rest of the resorts light up on the Strip, two simple words flash into the frame: “Now Open.” Fade to black.
“The Light,” as it’s called, was slated to run nationally on network and cable channels, but once again, the unforeseen happened, and the commercial was pulled when street protests erupted nationwide over the death of George Floyd, an African American in police custody in Minneapolis.
As Brunelle explained, “When we saw things throughout the country, saw what the national conversation was, we knew we needed to be respectful of what was happening.”
By that point, though, the LVCVA was ready with the core message it wanted to convey under the #VegasSmart rubric, with highlights that include a pair of 30-second videos posted on the agency’s website and on social media that aim to cover the demographic gamut.
The first depicts masked employees cheerfully going about their jobs𑁋front desk clerks, housekeepers, bartenders, doormen and bell hops𑁋while overtop roll the words: “We’re happy to see you again. We’re doing what we can. To ensure you can do everything without worrying about anything. Now let’s get back to the Vegas we know and love.”
The second consists of speeding aerial views of the Strip with a heavy-metal soundtrack and the words: “We know it’s been a while. But guess who’s back. Welcome back to Las Vegas.”
The balance of the initiative enlists celebrities for a series of lighthearted messages that work in a way that’s direct and personal:
“How To Be Vegas Smart” begins one 10-second spot featuring a Cirque de Soleil character arched in a handstand over a sink: “Say ‘Vegas Baby’ 20 Times While Washing Your Hands.”
One spot stars magician Jen Kramer, who flips over a jack of diamonds whose faces change, each now wearing a mask. Another spot features illusionist Shin Lim, who out of nowhere makes a mask appear on his face. In another, comedian Carrot Top fumbles to don a tie-dyed face covering over horn-rimmed glasses, and when he’s finally got it on, says, “I think I look a lot better in a mask.”
Brunelle said the LVCVA will continue to work with R&R to “tweak” the message. “We’re in the reopening phase right now, and we will adjust.”
The next phase, with a new message—a post-reopening message, if you will—is already on the drawing board, and likely will be unveiled the end of July or early August.
“We’re always keeping a beat with our customers’ thinking,” he said. “We’re always in development.”
